EDUCATION

Resources for students from foster care
Chafee IL and Chafee ETV resources

• The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development is a good place to start for information about these funds.  It lists contact information for state Chafee coordinators, information on the state’s Chafee program, and links to state Chafee plans. Go to www.nrcys.ou.edu/nrcyd.  Click State by State, then click your state map.
• Frequently Asked Questions I, II and III give concise, complete information about the Chafee Forster Care Independence Program and the Chafee Education and Training Voucher Program. These are useful resources.  Go to www.natl-fostercare.org.  Scroll to FAQs, and then click the titles.
• The State Voucher National Site provides Chafee ETV contact information for all states.  Go to www.statevoucher.org.

Texas allows an unlimited number of students to participate in their tuition waiver program. This program for students who were in foster care or adopted from foster care covers a portion of the costs of education. 

Once a student has been accepted to their chosen school and financial aid has been arranged, they must make the transition to the postsecondary environment.  This is difficult for most students. However, foster youth face the added stress of knowing they lack the safety net of support to help them.  Mentors become especially essential during the first weeks of classes.  A mentor could be a supportive adult or an older student who has “been there”.  College support programs help student develop a sense of belonging, cultivate friendships and connect students with a mentor.  Students who yparticipate in these programs have a higher graduation rate than those who do not.**

Students should avoid the tendency to isolate themselves from others.  They should become active in campus life.  By joining a club and participating in social and recreational activities, they can meet their peers.  They should also make an effort to interact with their teachers and other campus personnel.

*Higher Education Opportunities for Foster Youth.  A Primer for Policymakers.  Thomas R. Wolanin.  The Institutes for Higher Education Policy.  December 2005

**It's My Life:  Financial Aid Postsecondary Education and Training.  A resource for child welfare professionals from Casey Family Programs, 2006.

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